Infant twins die after being left in SUV in Chesterfield

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. – A small blue and pink memorial for the boy and girl infant twins sits feet away from the vehicle in which they were found unresponsive Thursday.

Chesterfield Police said that around 2:30 p.m. the four-month old twins were found unresponsive in a SUV in the 2400 block of Alfalfa Lane, at the Bellwood Maisonettes – near Jefferson Davis Highway.

Police, along with Chesterfield County Fire and EMS responded to the scene and transported the children to Chippenham Hospital.

"They actually performed CPR and aid to the children and the children were then transported to the hospital," said Major Frank Carpenter, Chesterfield Police.

The infant boy was pronounced dead at the hospital Thursday afternoon. His twin sister died several hours later on Thursday, police said.

"Extremely tough case when you're dealing with young children, specifically infants and the circumstances involved in the case, when you're dealing with infants that may have been a victim of heat exhaustion," said Major Carpenter.

A woman who lives a few doors down defended the children's parents through tears.

The children were found in a SUV out front the home.

"They go to work they come home to their kids. They're not any trouble, they're awesome," the woman, who declined to be identified, said.

"It's tragic what happened, I don't even know how to help them with their pain. It was certainly not an intentionally negligent act, it was a horrific mistake that can never be erased," said another neighbor, Donna Gusti, who also works with both parents at a nearby Waffle House.

The woman who lives next door to the family said the wife was at work Thursday afternoon when she called her.

"His wife called me at 2 p.m. to wake him up to come and get her from work and that's when everything happened,” the neighbor said. “That's when he found the babies in the car.”

She believes the husband just forgot the babies remained in the car when he got home from dropping his wife off at work.

"I'd say they're good parents, when she was pregnant they use to walk down the street and hold hands, it's something you don't hardly see anymore, it's very rare," said another neighbor, who also wished not to be identified.

Police continue to investigate the cause of the incident and have been in contact with the Commonwealth's Attorney.

The infants will be buried near family, in South Carolina.

Anyone with information should contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at 804-748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660.

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